Violent Social Media Content Contributing to a Rise in Mental Health Concerns
- hopefulhorizonther
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
Lately, social media has been packed with violent images and videos. While these posts are often meant to inform or raise awareness, the sheer amount of graphic content can be really unsettling. People of all ages, including teens and adults, are saying they're feeling more anxious, emotionally distressed, and even experiencing trauma-like symptoms after seeing these images over and over in their feeds.
Why Violent Content Messes with Your Mental Health
Our brains are hardwired to react strongly to threats. Even if the violence is happening far away, seeing it again and again can kickstart the body’s stress response, releasing adrenaline and cortisol. Over time, this can:
Make you more anxious or fearful about everyday life.
Desensitize you, making violence seem normal or less shocking.
Cause vicarious trauma—feeling stress or PTSD-like symptoms from seeing others suffer.
Why Seeing Violent Stuff on Social Media is Risky
Heightened Anxiety and Stress: Constant exposure can make the world feel unsafe.
Sleep Problems: Disturbing images might replay in your head, messing with your sleep.
Emotional Numbing: Seeing too much can dull your emotions, making it harder to feel empathy or joy.
Increased Aggression or Irritability: Studies suggest that seeing violence often can subtly affect your mood and behavior.
Triggering Past Trauma: For those with a trauma history, these images can bring back old wounds.
How to Look After Your Mental Health
Clear Your Feed: Unfollow or mute accounts that often share violent content.
Take Digital Breaks: Give yourself a break from social media to reset.
Seek Support: Talk with trusted friends, family, or a mental health professional if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Practice Grounding Techniques: Deep breathing, stretching, or mindfulness can help keep your emotions in check.
Model Healthy Habits: If you’re a parent or caregiver, chat with teens about online content and help them develop media literacy skills.
When to Reach Out for Help
If violent images are messing with your mood, sleep, or sense of safety, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to deal with it by yourself. At Hopeful Horizon Therapy, we’re here to help teens and adults facing anxiety, OCD, trauma, and substance use issues. Talking with a therapist can help you process what you’ve seen, lower your stress, and find stability again. We can work together to get rid of the awful images that just don't seem to go away.
Comments